Facilities Planning and Bond Measure

Over the last year, our leadership team worked with a school architect to create a Facilities Master Plan to prioritize facility needs for our local schools. This process included conducting a thorough needs assessment of NMCUSD school site facilities and creating a plan to address the facilities’ needs in classrooms and on school grounds. The Plan is intended to be a road map for addressing facility priorities over the next five to ten years.

The NMCUSD Board of Trustees has approved placing the bond measure on the November 3, 2026, ballot. Voters will now have the opportunity to consider the measure during the November election.

Homeowners currently pay $38.54 per $100,000 of assessed valuation toward the 2002 and 2013 bonds. These bond measures helped to fund deferred maintenance and technology infrastructure upgrades in all elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as modernization projects at North Monterey County High School, including a new Library Media Center, HVAC upgrades in some classrooms, upgrades to athletic facilities, and a campus-wide Access Control project.

The graph below identifies the current school bond tax rates for neighboring school districts in Monterey County.

If approved by voters, the proposed new bond measure would levy an estimated tax of $32.00 per $100,000 of assessed value for approximately 28 years, through 2054. During that period, the District’s prior bond measures will expire, with the 2002 measure ending in 2029 and the 2013 measure ending in 2044. As these prior measures mature, the taxes that support them will also end, reducing the District's overall tax rate.

The North Monterey County Unified School District (NMCUSD) serves approximately 4,500 students from TK/kindergarten through 12th grade and strives to provide all students with a high-quality education, preparing them for college, careers, and beyond.

NMCUSD is more than just a school district – we are a family of learners, educators and community members working together to inspire success.

Although we’re proud of the education opportunities provided to all students of NMCUSD, many of our schools are over 60 years old. Classrooms and other school facilities require repairs and upgrades to meet current school safety and academic standards. Schools built decades ago were designed for a different era of education and to outdated safety and instructional standards.

Outdated classrooms and educational facilities are costly and inefficient to operate. Proposed improvements include repairing or replacing failing HVAC systems in classrooms, repairing or replacing deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas lines, sewer lines and aging electrical systems.

Upgrades to protect student safety and security are needed, including replacing outdated fire alarms and emergency communication systems, and upgrading perimeter fencing and school security.

Additionally, some of our schools have portable classrooms that have exceeded their usable lifespans and are costly to repair for continued use.

No, the State does not provide dedicated funding for local school facility improvements. The very limited State funding for facility upgrades requires local matching funds, usually provided by a local school improvement measure.

The facility improvements identified in our schools are far beyond the scope of the District’s current maintenance budget. District leaders are currently evaluating options for funding these improvements, including using capital reserves in the NMCUSD’s budget and accessing State funds as they are available.

Another option utilized by many California school districts is to ask their community to approve a school improvement bond measure to provide dedicated local funding for school facilities repairs and upgrades.

As we consider options for preparing our schools for the future, we welcome your input. To share your opinions and priorities or to ask questions, please contact Superintendent Dr. Matt Turkie at askthesuperintendent@nmcusd.org.